1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a removable grip for carrying a bucket and, more particularly, to a removable grip for carrying a five-gallon bucket, that includes a hook tool for removing the lid of the five-gallon bucket and a pry tool for removing the lid of a paint can.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Five-gallon buckets are commonly used in various trades for carrying and storing many things, such as various solvents, chemicals, paints, and the like. The size of the five-gallon bucket provides a convenient way of holding a large quantity of such products for larger jobs without being overly burdensome. However, the weight of such products makes these buckets somewhat difficult to manage, especially when they are full. The buckets are typically molded plastic and are equipped with a wire bail for carrying the bucket. Because of the weight of the bucket, the bail may dig into the user""s hand when he is carrying the bucket. A small plastic grip is sometimes provided on the wire bail to lessen the stress on the user""s hand, but these grips are typically not enough to significantly alleviate the discomfort of carry the buckets because they are not wide enough and do not adequately conform to the hand of the user.
Various grips are known in the art for carrying buckets to reduce the stress on the user""s hand. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,433 issued to Curtis discloses a paint bucket handle accessory including an elongated grip having a slot that accepts a wire bail of the paint bucket. Various other designs of this type are also known in the art.
Plastic five-gallon buckets typically include a lid that is secured to the bucket by a series of tangs that conform to the upper edge of the bucket. Various tools can be used for removing the lid of these buckets, such as a screwdriver. Other types of buckets, such as paint cans and metal five-gallon buckets, have other types of lids that also require use of a similar prying tool to be removed.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a removable grip for a five-gallon bucket is disclosed that includes a prying tool for removing the lid of the bucket. The grip includes an elongated body in which a channel is formed. The channel includes a centrally disposed widened portion that is configured to accept an existing grip formed on a bail of the bucket handle. The channel also includes a narrow portion at each end of the widened portion that accepts the bail. Flexible tabs within each narrow portion lock the grip onto the bail. In one embodiment, the prying tool includes a flat or screwdriver end extending from one end of the body and a hooked end extending from an opposite end of the body. The flat end can be used to pry open the lid of a paint bucket, and the hooked end can be used to pry up the tangs of the lid of the five-gallon bucket to remove the lid.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.